Adelaide news: Trade, list and other happenings out of the Crows’ camp

A pair of out of favour Crows could be on the move as six Adelaide players are still yet to be offered new contracts.

Adelaide still has several calls to make on what its list will look like with the future of multiple Crows still up in the air.

While the vast majority of the Crows list are locked away for 2023 and beyond, there are still six Adelaide players out of contract.

The Crows SANFL side getting into the finals of the state league has put off exit interviews with those players who are eligible to play in the finals.

Adelaide will have to make three selections in the draft, in line with AFL rules.

Izak Rankine wants to become a Crow, which will also add to the need to make some list changes at West Lakes.

Small forward James Rowe could become a casualty of this with a new contract not yet coming for the mature age recruit.

Billy Frampton is another out of contract, with Collingwood understood to be interested in him.

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Lachlan Sholl fell out of favour in 2022 and is of interest to Victorian teams. Picture: Getty Images

Rookies Ben Davis, Tariek Newchurch and James Borlase are also unsigned beyond this season at this stage.

So is mid-season draftee Brett Turner.

There was speculation that Turner’s spell at the Crows could only last the six months, but he has shown some promising form in the SANFL finals.

On top of the out-of-contract players, the Crows may have some decisions to make on some fringe players who are receiving interest from other clubs.

News Corp revealed earlier this year that Carlton was monitoring young wingman Lachie Sholl.

Sholl is signed to 2024 and was a mainstay in the Crows team last year but has found a place in the AFL side harder to come by in 2022.

Former No. 6 draft pick Fischer McAsey hasn’t played a game at AFL level since 2020 and could also gather interest from Victorian clubs.

Will a club take Crouch off Crows’ hands?

Matt Crouch is being shopped around the competition.

Can a buyer be found for a player who was an All-Australian and club champion in a grand final year for Adelaide?

We’ve been here before, with Crouch looking around at the end of last season.

But he wasn’t unable to find another suitor after he struggled with persistent groin issues throughout the year and signed a two-year deal at West Lakes.

So, after Crouch was dropped three times from the Crows AFL side this year, will things be different for the 27-year-old this time around?

The main difference is that Crouch actually has a year remaining on his contract after deciding to recommit to the Crows last year.

That isn’t stopping the attempts to find Crouch a new home, weeks before the trade period opens up.

While he was one of the Crows’ best-paid players under his previous contract, it is understood Crouch’s current deal isn’t as lucrative.

Matt Crouch is searching for a new AFL home. Picture: AFL Photos/Getty Images

So it shouldn’t be entirely the money that goes against Crouch’s chances of finding a new club, more so his style of play in today’s AFL.

After his exit interview last month, Crouch said he wants to be playing AFL and would consider a trade request to realise this.

“I don’t want to be playing SANFL footy, I want to be playing AFL footy and that is a decision I have to weigh up,” he told Channel 10.

“We’ve spoken about that the last month, I’ve had conversations with Nicksy and Reidy about that. I still feel that I have a lot to give at the level and it is about where it lies now.”

But who could give Crouch another shot at AFL action, and take him off the Crows hands?

Rivals clubs will have to be convinced to look past Crouch’s weaknesses, a lack of impact when he has the ball despite amassing a lot of it and a lack of penetration with his kicking.

It is understood Gold Coast aren’t interested in Crouch, as part of any package for Izak Rankine who wants to join the Crows.

Despite his 18.3 uncontested possessions per game rated as elite, and 27.4 disposals above average Crouch was ranked by Champion Data as a below average midfielder in the competition for 2022.

Crouch was once the Crows’ best and fairest winner. Picture: Dean Martin

His metres gained, a huge criticism of his game in the last couple of years, was 247m per game – considered to be below average.

But as the Crows made a grand final in 2017 Crouch averaged 19.5 uncontested possessions, although his 13.48 contested possessions was significantly up on his 9.36 this year.

In that year Crouch’s metres gained per game was at a career high of 369.

Back then Crouch was able to either extract the ball or get on a chain out of the stoppage and find the onrushing Brodie Smith and Rory Laird off halfback.

The problem for Crouch is that many of the other teams in the AFL don’t need the type of player he thrives at being, with more dynamic midfielders in vogue now.

And the potential departure of Tom Mitchell, a similar footy amassing type of player, from Hawthorn will only toughen the task of Crouch finding a new home.

Originally published as Adelaide news: Trade, list and other happenings out of the Crows’ camp